TRANSITION GAME
Plenty of change in Big East — except at top
Change has come quickly to the Big East. Villanova lost four of its top six players from its national championship team. Xavier lost coach Chris Mack after e ndi ng the Wildcats’ run of four straight conference titles. St. John’s is expected to win for the first time in Chris Mullin’s tenure. Seton Hall is expected to miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years.
After sending six teams to the Tournament last season, the conference looks as wide-open as ever — except at the top, where Villanova is the only ranked team entering the season.
Some things rarely change.
Preseason Player of the Year Eric Paschall, Villanova
Just over three years after leaving Fordham, the Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. native is ready for his star turn. He’s already proven to be a valuable complementary player, averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists a season ago, but now the well-rounded 6-foot-9 forward — a quality defender, rebounder and potent insideout threat — will be asked to produce as a leading man.
Preseason Freshman of the Year David Duke, Providence
The last Providence guard to receive similar hype was Kris Dunn, and some think Duke will be even better than the former lottery pick. The 6-5 lead guard is the jewel of the Friars’ loaded freshmen class, and their best athlete, who already impressed during the team’s trip to Italy in August with a number of eye-catching highlights that became social media favorites.
5 QUESTIONS Can Villanova dominate with youth?
Too much is being made of the Wildcats’ age. They aren’t starting five freshmen. Senior leaders Eric Paschall and Phil Booth will ease the transition of the newcomers, and Albany grad transfer Joe Cremo will be a weapon from deep. The freshmen — led by five-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly — will be ready to produce by January, and sophomore Jermaine Samuels, a top-50 recruit on the wing who didn’t play much due to injury last year, will be one of the conference’s biggest surprises.
How will Patrick Ewing do in Year 2?
There will be progress, but it will be moderate. Talk of an NCAA Tournament bid is premature; the NIT is more realistic and attainable. The loss of second-leading scorer and rebounder Marcus Derrickson is a lot to overcome for such a young roster, and too much will be asked of freshmen guards James Akinjo and Mac McClung. Look for sophomore wing Jamorko Pickett to take a leap and senior forward Jessie Govan to be the league’s premier big man.
Who will be the league’s top star?
Like the old Big East, the new version has benefitted from star power in its first five seasons. Doug McDermott was a consensus national player of the year. Dunn was a twotime Big East player of the year. Last season, Jalen Brunson was the national player of the year. Paschall could emerge as the best player on the league’s best team, but Shamorie Ponds returns as the conference’s leading scorer, and could make national headlines by reviving St. John’s.
Will the Big East take a step back?
It won’t be nearly as steep of a decline as some expect. Of the 13 players honored on all-league teams last March, 11 are gone. But, as a whole, the league is recruiting very well and might actually have improved its depth, with teams like Seton Hall and Georgetown projected to finish in the bottom third.
How will Xavier fare without Chris Mack?
The defending regular season champions had one of the best seasons in school history (29-6), but the Musketeers return without Mack, who left for Louisville after nine seasons in Cincinnati. Under Mack, Xavier averaged nearly 24 wins per season, made the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past nine years, and reached the Sweet 16 on four occasions. The school will try to take the same path by promoting assistant Travis Steele — as it did with Mack, who replaced Sean Miller — and should remain one of the most consistent programs in the nation.